


Found Family

by OneLonelyWriter



Category: Carmen Sandiego (Cartoon 2019)
Genre: Angst, Author Is Sleep Deprived, During Canon, F/F, Fluff, Gen, In-Between Scenes, Multi, Post-Canon, Pre-Canon, do I know what im doing, no-, one shots
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-29
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-15 05:55:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28933623
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OneLonelyWriter/pseuds/OneLonelyWriter
Summary: Fluffy and angsty one shots in which Zack and Ivy are dumb, Player is amused, Carmen is not amused, and Shadowsan contemplates jumping out the window.
Relationships: Julia "Jules" Argent/Carmen Sandiego | Black Sheep
Comments: 5
Kudos: 106





	1. Movie Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shadowsan contemplates his relationship with Zack

A new day. It's bright, it's sunny, and oh yeah- Shadowsan seems to be thinking of the a thousand different ways to kill Zack. Literally. If looks could kill, he would already be dead ages ago.

But unfortunately (or fortunately), Zack seems to be immune to Shadowsan's piercing glares he keeps sending his way. Instead, he's focused on the television playing his favorite race-car series, Rogue Vendetta, and leaning forward with interest and almost spilling his popcorn on his lap.

Shadowsan growls lowly and looks back at the television with continued disinterest, he doesn't care whether or not the protagonist is able to save the girl from the kidnappers and take down the organization.

He's bound on the couch, all tucked up with a blanket like a toddler on the insistence of Zack, who took great care to get the blanket over him in a comfortable position so it doesn't bother the cast on his leg. And he doesn't bother with the soup perched carefully on the edge of the couch for easy access if he wants to grab it. Nor does he reach for the magazines on the coffee table that Zack got him just in case he didn't feel like watching the movies.

Nope, he's not having a good time.

He can't believe Carmen left him here all alone with Zack, why would she think he could provide sufficient care?

They've been sitting comfortably on the couches for the past few hours, the only sounds in the background being the movies playing. If Shadowsan's counting his hours correctly from the extensive glancing at the clock above, this should be the last few minutes of the movie. And from the low shouts of excitements finally coming from Zack, he won't have to wait long to be released from his prison of the soft blanket and warm couch.

He sighs and looks back at the television, watching the final race from the two main cars driving up the wall (who allowed that? That's not realistic.) towards where the girl waves on the protagonist. It's a tense few moments, with them neck and neck, and the enemy car gets the lead by a few paces- and no, he can't lose- to where the protag car passes him in the last second to complete over the finish line first.

Zack finally shouts in triumph as the credits roll, and Shadowsan abruptly slides back down once he realizes he had slightly sat up in the tension.

Zack turns to Shadowsan with a grin, "So, what did you think?" He asks so earnestly that while Shadowsan is not one for lying, he makes an exception.

"It was... adequate."

"Adequate! That's better than bad!" He agrees, hopping off the couch. He walks over to take Shadowsan's untouched soup (and doesn't complain at all that he hadn't touched it even if he made it for him) and his own empty popcorn bowl the the kitchen.

He doesn't want to admit it, but he actually had fun tonight watching horrible movies with Zack. Though, if he was being completely honest with himself, he still wished he was able to go out onto missions with Carmen and Ivy instead of being stuck here. But, he could guess why Carmen would leave Zack with him... though, he'd still be able to function all by himself.

Shadowsan pulls off the blanket and sits up as he waits for Zack to come back. He could grab his wheelchair and go into another room, but he decides it's better neither are left alone for now. And Zack seems to agree as he comes back and instantly retakes his spot near Shadowsan, turning to him with his ever-present smile, "Anything else you want to do tonight, Shadowsan?"

"I do not know of any other activities I want to participate in."

"Ooh, ooh! I know! Why not a story?"

"Stories?"

"Yeah like- you're a ninja, right? What's the difference between a ninja and samurai?" Zack asked innocently, leaning his head on his hand and looking intently at Shadowsan with a smile.

"I am-" Shadowsan started to say before he stopped himself, and straightened his posture in the beginning of what Carmen (and now Zack and Ivy) called 'teacher mode', "Samurais are highly trained and noble warriors, often fighting in the stead of royalty and acting as defensive and offensive guards. They were strong and well-disciplined."

"That sounds like you!" Zack exclaimed.

Shadow opened an eye to glare at him which quieted him down before continuing, "Ninja's were of a lower class, trained as outcasts and in the art of stealth. They were quick, and their purpose was to act essentially as mercenaries, taking down government officials."

"...That also sounds like you." Zack said quieter. 

"Ninja and samurai fought constantly, both on opposing sides of right and wrong. Ninja wanted to get rid of the control, and samurai wanted to preserve the order. They never saw eye to eye, no matter how much it hurt either side." Shadowsan slumps slightly, and looks down into his lap with dismay, though it seems a small shift in posture to the untrained eye, "That's just the way it was suppose to be."

Though, Zack had a trained eye in 'Shadowsan Language'. He stayed silent, uncharacteristically somber as he studied Shadowsan, before he perked up and said, "You can be both." With the way he exclaimed it, it seemed so obvious and simple, to which it wasn't to Shadowsan.

"That's not how it works."

"Sure it is! You have the nobility and your scary no-nonsense scowl-" Shadowsan scowls at him for that, "-But you were a mercenary, and are so sneaky, it's kinda terrifying. After all, you are with us. We are seen as bad because we fight the bad, but that doesn't mean we are bad, you know? Or wait- does that make sense? We fight- uh..."

Shadowsan held up a hand to stop Zack's rambling and shook his head, though not sternly, "I get it. Thank you, Zack."

And just like that, his grin came back full force, "No problem, sensei Shinobi Bushi." He bowed dramatically towards Shadowsan.

"That is just ninja samurai..."

"Am I wrong?" 

"That doesn't even go together properly."

"Then teach me how to say it sensei." Zack said half-seriously, half-mocking.

Shadowsan grumbled under his breath, and picked himself up off the couch into his wheelchair and rolled away as fast as he could (which wasn't very) to the wheezing protests coming from Zack. It wasn't until he made it to his room that Shadowsan allowed himself a small smile.


	2. Flowers Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julia cannot handle Carmen's way of anonymous flirting (part 1)

It had started off as a joke.

Every once in a while, Julia would be sent a bouquet of flowers at wherever she was working. Whether it be delivered to her room at a hotel, found in her apartment, shown up on her desk at the secret ACME organization, or in even an undisclosed workplace- it was always there.

And the flowers were usually different, presumably with different meanings (that Julia did not look up): First it was a Fennel -know for flattery-, then it was Peonies -known as good luck, often used for flirting-, then Asters -known for presenting charm and love-, then Carnations -symbolizing new attraction-, then Chrysanthemums -known as a declaration of... strong love-, then finally the infamous roses.

Julia knew that they were meant for purely romance and love, but it also cleared the identity of the sender if it wasn't obvious before: Carmen.

Julia had picked up the new bouquet of roses that appeared on her desk in her apartment, holding them close to her chest with a shake of her head and an amused blush rising on her face. An idiotic, charmingly beautiful thief that keeps messing with her emotions. 

Like all the other flowers that had been delivered to her, she put them in vase full of water to ensure it's longest survival. She didn't know when she'd get another gift from Carmen after all. At this point, she must have had a vase of flowers on every frequented desk she visited, all from Carmen.

She had shook her head once more, before preparing to go to bed, it having been quite late like every night for her from getting home from work. But after that day, she waited and waited and waited for the flowers to show up.

After the roses, no more flowers came anymore. Usually, she would receive them at random times that usually ranged from sometimes every few weeks or months, whenever she was visiting or if Julia was half-heartedly chasing her, but they never took this long. It had been almost a year.

All the flowers she previously had, the many roses and asters and carnations, had all died long ago- no matter how much time she tried to keep them alive and revive them. She hadn't seen the thief in a few months, and she doesn't know if it was because VILE hadn't been active and there was no reason or... something happened to Carmen.

Julia had no idea what she'd do if Carmen disappeared. Honestly, the highlight of her law enforcement career involved the thief, trying to catch her off guard and talk to her. Maybe it was wrong of her, forbidden, both of them being on different sides of the law- but Julia didn't care. No more Carmen to call her "Jules" or smirk at her from the darkness of the rooftops, pull her into weird excursions. It was like-

A slip of paper slid under the front door of her studio apartment. She rushed over to it, pulling the door open without even glancing at the note and looking down the halls. Nobody. It was completely quiet and empty.

Dejected she couldn't even get a glimpse at the thief (no way anybody else couldn't disappeared so quickly, nor would they give her a note like that), she closed the door once more and glanced down at the note.

It read "Meet me at your favorite cafe at 2 at the 24th". The writing itself was nothing significant, written a bit crudely but still neat enough with small swirls of cursive at random times. Julia glanced at the calendar, it was February 22nd. Julia glanced at the clock, it was 1am.

She hid the note in a drawer of her nightstand, and went to sit back at her desk in front of her single window in the apartment, distantly looking out the blinds to see if she can catch a small hint of red moving amongst all the black. But there wasn't anything, Carmen was long gone.

Julia sighed, putting down her paperwork she no longer cared for, and got herself ready for bed- eager to end this day. She just had to wait it out through tomorrow, then she can see the thief.

The elusive, beautiful, charming, big _pain in the ass_ thief.


End file.
